


Hidden Thoughts

by lovelylily



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: i wrote this to test my abilities and now im blind, reader's gender is ambiguous and uses they/them, written in 3rd person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 10:04:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14446923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelylily/pseuds/lovelylily
Summary: In which the reader is an Aether employee who goes undercover in Team Rainbow Rocket. Ghetsis sees through their act, and has a rather unconventional punishment in mind.





	Hidden Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> i want to fucking die

_And so, the Aether employee shed their pristine white lab coat and donned a uniform of black._

\-----------

They often pondered what on earth they would even do, now that they had placed themselves in such a compromising situation. Unable to think of anyone to call for help, and carrying pokemon bred for care and companionship rather than strength, they could only dream of attempting to take on even a single one of these men in a fight. Others seemed more competent than others, of course; this new development to Aether Paradise had brought with it droves of incredibly strange characters.  
There was one that piqued their interest, however. More accurately, piqued their anxiety. And quite possibly their desire to wring someone's neck as well.

They had to admit that they had nearly done a double take upon seeing him for the first time, mistaking him for a massive waking roll of carpet rather than a king, and musing that this couldn't possibly be the feared tyrant everyone had been speaking so avidly about. They had overheard sinister conversations and rumors about this particular man; about how he had taken the hearts and minds of millions his with words alone. They had overheard him firsthand gloating about his rule over Unova with an iron fist, and what he had done to achieve this power. About what he had done to his son.  
The thoughts repulsed them more than they thought was humanly possible.

The grunt tried their hardest to shield the discomfort they harbored about this newfound change, really they did. They felt their very survival depended on it, after all. They tried their hardest to convince themselves that these rumors held no water.

Yet, they simply couldn't sleep soundly with the notion that this horrid master manipulator could potentially see through their act.

 

\--------------

 

Entering the Conservation area, the grunt scanned the room, searching for a certain pink haired woman they had been told to meet. At least, that was what they recalled. They had made an unfortunate habit of tuning out Giovanni's instructions whenever he gave them; the man's cartoonish, exaggerated Italian accent and painfully pretentious taste in fashion was enough to make them gag.

As their eyes darted over the scene, they fondly recognized various pokemon who they had cared for previously; the Corsola with the Sharpedo bite taken from its back, the Emolga with the missing eye and the directional problem. Their attention was diverted to a few Rocket grunts guiding a rather large and intimidating looking Mudsdale by the reigns. The grunt suppressed a laugh as they watched the short young man closest to it struggle to retrieve his hat, which had been plucked from his blonde head by the large beast. His friends where not so reserved however, cackling and mock-cheering the shorter one on as he fruitlessly reached for his stolen garment.  
Watching the pokemon play with each other and go about their business in the safety of the conservation area was a pastime they may have missed more than they realized, they reflected wistfully.

Their delight was short lived, however. With a small grimace, their vision located the pink haired woman about 50 feet in front of them... with their path obscured by a certain hideous purple and yellow snuggy.

Why on earth was Ghetsis here _alone?_ Surely the man hated pokemon; he didn't exactly come off as the type to appreciate beauty. They also knew him to be somewhat of a crybaby when it came to his safety, constantly requesting bodyguards and then berating them until they left crying. Knowing that this ancient bastard was his right hand man, they could almost have sympathy for what Giovanni must have to deal with on a daily basis. _Almost._  
They opted to simply make their way past his towering figure, head down, and hoped he wouldn't notice.

An old, three legged Ratatta that the grunt happened to know quite well hobbled up next to Ghetsis' leg, nuzzling against his sock in an adorable fashion. As they approached, they watched this display out of the corner of their vision with a smile, finding the sight of Ghetsis' normally stern face lifted in surprise to be a welcomed change. They relished in the notion of an old rat with a missing limb taking such a newfound liking to, well... an old rat with a missing limb.  
Their delightfully distracted brain took only a few moments to process the sight of Ghetsis' leg rearing back.

With a harsh jerk, Ghetsis kicked the Pokemon away from him like a discarded lemonade can blocking his footpath. The Ratatta's pained squeak and sudden look of shock immediately snapped the grunt out of their thoughts, gasping loudly as they watched it roll a few feet towards the edge of the walkway.

" _Aah_ \- Good Arceus, please be careful with the pokemon!" they cried abruptly, moving past him to scoop the stunned animal into their arms. They didn't care if they had drawn attention to themselves; the classic Aether instinct to protect kicked in as they cooed gently to it, giving the rat a once over and petting its side. The Ratatta gave a few rapid blinks and twitches of it's ears before regaining its composure, settling it's old body the grunt's grasp.

Ghetsis eyed them analytically. He must have been unaware of their presence until now.  
"Oh, so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was stepping." he said. His statement a gross parody of sincerity, and they couldn't help but bristle at the offensive and patronizing action.

"Well, try to be more careful _sir._ "  
They spat the word venomously, unable to conceal the sudden spike of anger that plagued them at the sight of him, at the idea of serving under these _monsters_. They had taken their beloved Aether Paradise and gutted it for their own use, to the point where not even the pokemon that called this place home could be safe.

Ghetsis simply raised his eyebrow. The grunt felt a sudden odd lurch in their gut.

"Indeed." he said.

To their repulsion, they watched his eye trail up and down their body. They felt as if they where experiencing something from the man that wasn't intended to be obvious. They where exposed, out of place; as if Ghetsis could still see the Aether employee hidden behind the rainbow R, and that he did not approve.  
_They had been noticed_ , they berated silently. _They had been fucking noticed._

His head tilted ever so slightly, raising his eyebrows as if he had come across a revelation.  
"Are you afraid of me?" he asked somewhat abruptly.

"What? No, of course not..." they scoffed. Their instinct was to immediately show confidence, unable to determine Ghetsis' question as one of worry and guilt over his temper at the Ratatta, or one of interrogation.

His expression was eerie and unreadable. They nearly flinched however when he moved onto one knee, half expecting to be stricken. He extended his hand in an invitation to, of all things, _help them to their feet._  
They paused, eyeing the hand as if it where the snapping claw of an angered Kingler. Finding themselves inexplicably drained of their anger, they prayed he wouldn't notice the sweat on their palms as they found themselves gingerly clasping his hand. It was much larger than theirs, and the sensation of his cold, worn fingers wrapped around their own caused a strange flush to creep onto their face. He pulled them to their feet on shaking knees, not loosening their grip on the Ratatta.

Of all things he could have done, he _smiled_ at them, and it sinisterly dawned on the grunt that Ghetsis was somewhat... attractive. A trait they had somehow managed to overlook previously. He was older, yes, but his features where gracefully defined. He had a handsome, aging face that seemed to map his whole life in it's fine lines and wrinkles, framed by a regal mane of green curls that looked far too soft and inviting for such a known monster. They realized with a jolt just how close he was as well as they caught a vague scent of something fresh and flowery, not unlike a bouquet of roses. His red eye glinted beautifully off of the sunlight filtering through the ceiling of the conservation area, and his features stretched kindly as he smiled.

"Such a sweet, naive one you are. That big heart of yours could very well be your undoing." he stated gently.

Before they could formulate a response, he strode past them, his heavy cloak brushing against their thigh. He simply left them to marinate in his vague threat, a strange mixture of warmth and tingling unease floating over them like a cloud. Their heart pounded inexplicably, the voice still dancing in their ears far too enticing for their own comfort. Ratatta did not struggle.

 

  
\-------------

 

A pair of boots clicked rapidly as the grunt moved down the hideous red walls of the foundation. Their day had been one of the most nerve-wracking ones they had ever experienced in this facility, and shockingly, it had absolutely nothing to do with having to assist the pink haired woman in extracting a jumpy Pidgey from the gaping maw of a sleeping Feraligatr.

They coundn't have landed themselves in a worse situation if they tried.

_"That big heart of yours could very well be your undoing."  
_ Rage bubbled to the surface. How dare he make a claim like that? What on earth did he even _mean?_

 The image of Ghetsis smiling down at them flashed through their mind. An inexplicable pickup of their heart rate came with it, and a strange heat crept across their face. _That horrible, evil creature-_ they pondered that they might hate him more than anyone they had ever met. They had to admit, his smile was much more preferable than his frown however, it did a fair job of erasing his distrustful qualities. They felt almost... a compulsion to see it again, they realized. The way he had smiled at them had seemed genuine, after all, and it was a beautiful sight to behold. The prospect that his smile had been directed at them was a thrilling concept. Their thoughts where flooded by the memories of that encounter; of how his hand felt around theirs, how lovely and smelling of roses he was-

No, _no_. _Absolutely not._ They couldn't be having thoughts like that about such an incredibly evil, vile person. The day must have taken much more of a toll on them than they realized if they where even considering such a possibility.

They had successfully cheated and lied through another twelve hours, and where being greeted with the sweet, sweet reward of retreating to the safety of their quarters. Perhaps they could put these torturous thoughts to rest with the remedy of an episode of Hoenn Rangers and a good night's sleep.  
This illusion was quickly shattered however, when their hand ghosted over the empty pocket where their keycard should have been.

_"Shit!..."_ they swore under their breath. They quickly came to the conclusion that they must have dropped it when they had dove to pick up that Ratatta. Squinting down at their wristwatch in the dark, they estimated how much of a gamble it would be to make their way all the way back to the conservation area before the facility closed for the night. They fret bitterly, flipping a coin in their head and settling on turning on their heel to make their way back into the main building. Their heart jumped suddenly as they collided with a large, soft object, a gasp escaping their throat.

"You're locked out, aren't you?"

The exact moment of dawning horror and realization the grunt experienced in that moment was nearly enough to eject their soul from their body. Craning their neck severely to gaze up at the mass of plush fabric, it dawned on them that they where indeed facing the frighteningly tall figure of none other than Ghetsis. He had somehow approached completely silently, his sinister silhouette standing out against the darkened walls of the foundation.

"Excuse my approach at such an hour, but I think I may have something of yours."  
Ghetsis said. He gracefully produced a small black card from between his pointer and middle finger, and the grunt felt a wave of relief wash over them at the sight of the minuscule square of plastic.

"My key! Oh, thank you-"  
They said, reaching out to reclaim their property. They where interrupted however, as Ghetsis pulled it back just out of arm's reach, like he was teasing a Rockruff with a bone.

"Tsk. Now wait just a moment."  
His voice was sickeningly sweet and quiet, and it inexplicably made the grunt's stomach turn. They couldn't see his face completely clearly in the dark, but they could tell that he was taunting them. He cocked his head, an action that would have infuriated them if not for- no, no. They wouldn't allow themselves to sink so low as to be seduced by this monster's childish taunting.

The grunt fidgeted. They had never been more conflicted in their entire life. Was Ghetsis Harmonia even flirting with them right now, or was this just his twisted sense of humor at work? They hadn't quite known the treelike man long enough to tell for certain. Both ideas somewhat disturbed them, considering the haunting scrutiny Ghetsis had subjected them to earlier in the day. They had to admit to themselves that their mind was somewhat in the gutter, yet the back of their brain managed to convince them that his sultry stare, even in the dark, was completely unmistakable. They chewed their bottom lip instinctually. Ghetsis' grin only widened at the sight.

"Ghetsis... If this is about earlier- I..." they trailed off. They genuinely felt sorry, but what on earth for? They hadn't done anything wrong, in fact they assumed that defending that Ratatta had been a right and just action. So why did they feel _sorry?_ Why did the prospect of pleasing Ghetsis sound more appealing than doing the right thing?  
Perhaps this was a tactic of intimidation. Perhaps they where being manipulated, they fret fleetingly, thoughts flashing back to his stories of others he had stepped on to get what he desired.

"Mistakes happen." He assured them simply. The grunt honestly hand no idea if he was referring to them or himself. They could have imagined it, but his statement seemed to be marinated in a sweetly patronizing taunt, as if he where implying mistakes happened for them, but not for him. They mentally kicked themselves at the spike of excitement that this brought them.

They froze suddenly as he moved in closer, bending down considerably to reach their height as he rested his large, bony hand on their shoulder. Despite his extreme skinniness, Ghetsis' height definitely complimented his proportions as the grunt suddenly registered with a flutter of their stomach just how _large_ the man really was. As he leaned in next to their ear, his cheek brushing against theirs, he spoke, quiet and coy.  
"I'm not necessarily adverse to seeing you on your knees in front of me, after all."

Any semblance of composure fled from the grunt at these hushed words. The sudden fire that shot through their system at this remark was surreal and intoxicatingly addictive, their mind managing to exit the gutter and swerve directly into fantasy land. What was this man _doing_ to them?

"I... I..." they sputtered, unable to resist the growing heat in their face. Ghetsis cut them off with a finger to their lips and a mischievous chuckle, as if it had all been a sly joke on his part.

He slowly moved his good arm to cup their face, his hand a shocking cold compared to their own heated flesh. They shivered, relishing in the fantasy that they never knew they possessed as the man's delicate, spiderlike fingers traced their jawline. A few soft strands of his fluffy, verdant hair brushed against their face as his hypnotic, flowery scent permeated every one of their elevated senses. They felt him grin, his face barely grazing their cheek.

"Such an easily flustered little thing."  
He spoke mostly to himself, sadistic grin perfectly apparent in his voice. Their squirming amused him greatly, the grunt completely unable to respond. What an incredibly frightening deviation from the day's previous attitude. _What a delight._  
He drew away oh so slowly, his lips barely brushing the corner of their mouth. They could have sworn that on his inhale, he had been smelling their hair.

"Now tell me, I don't believe you truly answered my question from this afternoon..." he muttered. His gaze seemed to glaze over in a sinister fashion as he traced his hand down the length of their neck, the tip of his ring finger slipping beneath their collar.  
"Are you afraid of me?" he asked. His eye narrowed expectantly.

They gulped, his question barely having time to marinate in their thoughts before they let the truth slip.  
"Terrified."

It really wasn't a lie; they had only known the man for a matter of days and he had them questioning their very morals, not to mention more sexually frustrated than a teenage boy in a growth spurt. Yet the grunt suddenly seized at this confession, clenching their eyes shut in a wince. They where sure that Ghetsis already realized they used to work for Lusamine, but this could only confirm it in the Sage's mind further. _Why on earth did they feel the need to tell him that?_

Maybe this really was just Ghetsis' sick way of flirting. Maybe he wouldn't make the connection. But as the ghost of his touch still tingled on their skin, they realized with dawning horror upon seeing the crooked smirk stretch across his face, that he indeed had known all along. Oh my. _Oh my._

Their horror was soon replaced with an odd toss of their stomach and a heat under their skin; the satisfaction in his gaze meant only that they had told him _exactly_ what he had wanted to hear.  
Ghetsis pulled his hand away slowly, and the grunt resisted the urge to whine at the loss of his chilling touch. He reproduced their card, nudging it into their hand.

"H-how... did you..."

"Call it my intuition." he said smugly. His low, whispering voice was rich and melodic like a cello being tuned.

He placed his arm behind his back in a distinguished manner, leaning over ever so slightly to loom over them. He blinked slowly, exposed eye just as gorgeous and enticing as before.  
"Don't fret, little one. Your secret is safe with me." he assured them. They felt a grin tug at their lips, and a familiar wave of satisfaction and relief overtook them.  
"Unless, of course... you pose a threat to our cause." The low and worn out tones of his voice wrapped his malicious words in such an addictive sweetness. They could understand how he had influenced so many people in Unova; the grunt found themselves endlessly fixated and seduced by his words, no matter how loudly their brain screamed not to. They could only bring themselves to nod wearily, their trembling fingers briefly brushing against his as they reclaimed their key.

Ghetsis finally backed off, clasping his hand behind his back and earning a shuttering sigh from the grunt. He smiled in satisfaction to himself, watching with a sadistic joy as they struggled to swipe their card with a fumbling hand. They finally managed to read it, the kiosk emitting a small beep as the thick steel door of the grunt's quarters slid open.

 

\----------------

  
_That night, Ghetsis relished in yet another easy victory. The grunt didn't sleep a wink._


End file.
